Work with force changing with angle

In summary, the relationship between work and force when the angle changes is described by the equation W = Fdcosθ. Changing the angle affects the amount of work done by changing the effective force acting in the direction of the displacement. The cosine function in the equation represents the angle between the force and the displacement and allows for calculation of work when they are not in the same direction. When the angle is 90 degrees, no work is done due to the perpendicular force. Real-life examples of this include pushing a lawn mower, pulling a suitcase, and pushing a shopping cart at an angle.
  • #1
drabdallh
9
0
IF F=MGcos θ AND THE ANGLE BETWEEN F AND D IS θ
THEN WILL THE WORK BE MGcos2θ?
 
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  • #2
MGDcos²θ, yes. But I'm a bit concerned about your formulas to begin with. What's the setup? You might be accounting for θ once more than you need to.
 
  • #3
serway problem 7,20
 
  • #4
I'm not sure why you assume we all have access to every textbook used for physics lectures.
 
  • #5


No, the work done in this scenario will not be MGcos2θ. Work is defined as the product of force and displacement, and in this case, the force and displacement vectors are not parallel. Therefore, the work done will be the dot product of the force and displacement vectors, which is equal to Fdcosθ. This means that the angle between the force and displacement vectors will not change the value of the work done.
 

FAQ: Work with force changing with angle

What is the relationship between work and force when the angle changes?

The relationship between work and force when the angle changes is described by the equation W = Fdcosθ, where W is the work done, F is the applied force, d is the displacement, and θ is the angle between the force and the displacement. This means that the work done is directly proportional to the force and the displacement, but is also affected by the angle between them.

How does changing the angle affect the amount of work done?

Changing the angle between the force and the displacement affects the amount of work done by changing the effective force acting in the direction of the displacement. When the angle is 0 degrees, the force and displacement are in the same direction, resulting in maximum work done. As the angle increases, the effective force acting in the direction of the displacement decreases, resulting in less work being done.

What is the role of the cosine function in the equation for work with changing force?

The cosine function in the equation for work with changing force represents the angle between the force and the displacement. This angle is important because it determines the effective force acting in the direction of the displacement. The cosine function allows us to calculate the work done when the force and displacement are not in the same direction.

How does the work done change when the angle is 90 degrees?

When the angle between the force and the displacement is 90 degrees, the cosine function becomes 0, resulting in no work being done. This is because the force is acting perpendicular to the displacement, so there is no component of the force in the direction of the displacement.

What are some real-life examples of work with force changing with angle?

Some real-life examples of work with force changing with angle include pushing a lawn mower at an angle, pulling a suitcase up a flight of stairs, and pushing a shopping cart at an angle. In all of these situations, the force and displacement are not in the same direction, and the angle between them affects the amount of work done.

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